receipt

1 of 2

noun

re·​ceipt ri-ˈsēt How to pronounce receipt (audio)
plural receipts
1
a
: a writing acknowledging the receiving of goods or money
b
receipts plural, informal : proof, evidence
… he is on the hook right now for some pretty major charges that Mueller has the receipts for …Asha Rangappa
However, it was just a few weeks earlier that the reality star was crushing on another lovely lady … and we've got the receipts to prove it! HollywoodLife has text messages between the two …Sarah Jones
2
: the act or process of receiving
3
: something received
usually used in plural
4
: recipe
5
a
obsolete : receptacle
b
archaic : a revenue office

receipt

2 of 2

verb

receipted; receipting; receipts

transitive verb

1
: to give a receipt for or acknowledge the receipt of
2
: to mark as paid

Did you know?

The History of Receipt and Recipe

These days it may seem odd to speak of "grandma's cookie receipt," but in the past, receipt was a synonym of recipe. Early use of receipt refers to medicinal preparations. Recipe didn't arrive until the 1500s, and it too was first used to describe a formula for medicine. In time, both words gained use in cookery, after which recipe slowly became the preferred word. Receipt later acquired its more familiar sense of "a writing acknowledging the receiving of goods or money." Both words, receipt and recipe, ultimately derive from Latin recipere ("to receive").

Examples of receipt in a Sentence

Noun Keep your receipt in case you need to return anything. The form should be completed and returned within 30 days of receipt. Open immediately upon receipt of the package. Our company deposits cash receipts every day.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
For one, James was the parent who purchased the Sig Sauer 9mm firearm for their son at a gun range on Black Friday and was the registered owner of the firearm, according to receipts. Eric Levenson, CNN, 7 Mar. 2024 For customers without a receipt, with 50 eligible items claimed, they are entitled to $10. Chad Murphy, The Enquirer, 6 Mar. 2024 Other steps include mandating receipts and charging return fees. Anne D'innocenzio, Quartz, 4 Mar. 2024 Then came Babylon, which divided critics and audiences and has the receipts to prove it. Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Mar. 2024 So far in 2024, no film has generated more than $100 million in receipts. Sarah Whitten, NBC News, 29 Feb. 2024 At the same time, small business use of credit (defined as organizations with less than $50 million in gross receipts) rose from 4% to 28%. Gary Romano, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 San Diego does not factor gross receipts into its business license tax. David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Feb. 2024 The Commissioner shall decide the question raised within five (5) days after receipt of such evidence. Jeff Zillgitt, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024
Verb
He was arrested on June 3, 2021, and pleaded guilty last April to receipt of child pornography. Taylor Hartz, Hartford Courant, 10 Jan. 2024 The rebate is available through a website where customers must upload a photo of the UPC and receipt for a purchase made between May 17 and May 31. Leada Gore | Lgore@al.com, al, 26 Jan. 2023 Real estate tax bill or receipt for the current year or the previous year. Tamia Fowlkes, Journal Sentinel, 14 Mar. 2023 Failure to properly document employee bonuses and stipends, and Failure to properly receipt and deposit money collected on behalf of the school. al, 6 Oct. 2022 Since the company’s American depository receipts trade in New York, there’s also the threat of expensive class-action suits. Andy Mukherjee | Bloomberg, Washington Post, 22 Oct. 2019 Ground transportation for Vice President Mike Pence's stay at President Donald Trump's Doonbeg, Ireland, resort cost taxpayers nearly $600,000, according to State Department receipts. Allan Smith, NBC News, 11 Sep. 2019 The state’s supplemental operating budget increases that receipt authority, though the governor has not yet signed that budget. James Brooks, Anchorage Daily News, 13 June 2019 Last year, Beijing wanted to lure Chinese tech companies to list in the mainland by issuing Chinese depository receipts dubbed CDR, akin to the ADRs and GDRs used to facilitate global companies in New York and London. Jacky Wong, WSJ, 3 Apr. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'receipt.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English receite, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin recepta, probably from Latin, neuter plural of receptus, past participle of recipere to receive

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Verb

1787, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of receipt was in the 14th century

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Dictionary Entries Near receipt

Cite this Entry

“Receipt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/receipt. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

receipt

1 of 2 noun
re·​ceipt ri-ˈsēt How to pronounce receipt (audio)
1
2
: the act or process of receiving
3
: something received
usually used in plural
4
: a written statement saying that money or goods have been received

receipt

2 of 2 verb
1
: to give a receipt for
2
: to mark as paid
receipt a bill

Legal Definition

receipt

noun
re·​ceipt ri-ˈsēt How to pronounce receipt (audio)
1
: the act, process, or fact of taking possession
2
: something (as income) received
usually used in pl.
3
: a writing acknowledging the receiving of goods or money
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